"The way is shut," The King of the Dead whispered, moving towards the six warriors. "Now you must die." Legolas took his hand off Idrial's back, grabbed an arrow from his quiver, and shot it at the King in under three seconds. The arrow hit its mark- the King's forehead- but then it simply went straight through it! The King, undeterred, kept moving forward, his soldiers moving behind him.

"Idrial," Elegost mumbled. "This would be a very nice time for you to pull off that trick with the water again," Aragorn took a bold step forward.

"I summon you to fulfill your oath," He said. The King growled, and quickened his pace.

"None but the King of Gondor may command me!" He hissed. In response, Aragorn raised Anduril so that it was level with his face. The King of the Dead went to strike him, but Anduril protected Aragorn and fended off the blade. Aragorn pushed the sword away.

"That line was broken!" The King protested. Aragorn's hand shot up and grabbed the King's decayed throat, and pressing Anduril against his neck.

"It has been remade," He said coolly. He shoved the King away, and then turned his attention to the other dead soldiers present. "Fight for us," He said. "And regain your honor." He walked along the line of dead men, looking each of them in the face. "What say you?" There was no response. Elegost nocked his arrow just in case, even though he knew it would do no good.

Idrial had privately questioned Aragorn's boldness when he spoke to the King, but now she was getting the impression that even the dead men were afraid of him. The soldiers parted and Aragorn walked amongst them, holding Anduril aloft. "What say you?" Aragorn asked again.

"You waste your time, Aragorn." Gimli grunted. "They had no honor in life, they have none in death." Hadhod nodded in agreement.

"Even when they have nothing to lose, and all to gain." He added. Aragorn continued on, raising Anduril a bit higher.

"I am Isildur's heir," he said. He turned and pointed Anduril at a cluster of soldiers. "Fight for me, and I will hold your oaths fulfilled." He turned back to the King, who had a blank expression on his rotted features. "What say you?" Aragorn barked at him. The King began to chuckle again, and Idrial gritted her teeth. Valar, she hated that laugh. The dead began to fade away, back into the walls from whence they came.

"You have my word!" Aragorn cried. "Fight, and I will release you from this living death!" But they did not come back.

"STAND YOU TRAITORS!" Gimli roared, his fear forgotten. The wind returned, and it blew the mist in the cavern away. A great rumbling resounded. The ground trembled, and Elegost had to brace himself to keep his bearings. Rocks and skulls imbedded in the ceiling fell, and one skull narrowly missed hitting Idrial on the head.

"They're bringing down the cave!" Elegost yelled. Just then, the walls of the castle broke down, and a wave of skulls poured out towards the company.

"OUT!" Aragorn called, running for another doorway. They had to wade through the oncoming skulls to move, and suddenly, Idrial slipped. She cried out as she fell towards the abyss below the cavern, and was stopped abruptly when Legolas grabbed her hand and pulled her upright.

"Hannon lle melon-nin,(1)" She breathed. Up ahead for a moment, Elegost disappeared beneath the sea of skulls, and then reappeared by forcing himself up. The same thing happened again, only with Legolas. Except that he was under longer.

"Legolas!" Aragorn yelled. He turned to Idrial. "Where is he?" He called. Idrial shook her head.

"I don't know- one minute he was here, the next- there he is!" Legolas reappeared just in front of the Elleth a second later. Aragorn and Elegost finally reached a place where the skulls could no longer hit them, and signaled for the others to follow. Legolas pushed Idrial ahead of him, then Hadhod after her, and ran in himself after grabbing Gimli's arm and tugging him with him.

They got through just in the nick of time, just as the rocks were beginning to collapse over the entrance to their escape route. The company dove out of the cave, and Elegost hissed as his eyes adjusted to the sun. "Well," Hadhod muttered. "Excellent time to discover that the exit was mere feet away from us the whole time."

"Oh no," Idrial whispered.

"What?" Legolas asked. Idrial just pointed. They were on a slope that led down to a large river- a river that was currently bearing several ships with black sails. The Corsairs of Umbar had arrived. Aragorn was on his knees, a look of failure etched on his face. Legolas put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. Idrial, Elegost and the dwarves observed the ships with dark expressions.

"With those reinforcements behind Mordor," Elegost mumbled. "Minas Tirith has no chance. Even if the warriors of Rohan get there in time." Idrial shut her eyes and tilted her head toward the ground. She then felt a strong gust of wind at her back, and whirled around. Aragorn and the others did so as well.

It was the King of the Dead.

He went straight up to Aragorn, who stood up immediately, and looked him in the eye. There was a pause, and then he said only two words:

"We fight."

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Sorry this chapter was so much shorter than the others, but I'm trying to build dramatic tension.

(1): Hannon lle mellon-nin- Thank you my friend.